Written By: Kelly Calabrese

Ever take your pants off for a subway ride?

Sounds crazy but every year this phenomenon actually happens as members of Improv Everywhere take part in a mission called The No Pants! Subway Ride, which started as a small prank with seven guys and has grown into an international celebration of silliness.

Founded by Charlie Todd in August of 2001, Improv Everywhere causes chaos and joy in public places and you don't always have to take your pants off. The group has pulled off over 100 different missions (such as The MP3 Experiment and The Human Mirror), involving tens of thousands of undercover agents while clearly proving that a prank doesn't have to involve humiliation or embarrassment; it can simply be about making someone laugh, smile or stop to notice the world around them.

To learn more about this international phenomenon, NYCastings tracked down the master of chaos…

Q & A with Improv Everywhere founder, Charlie Todd:

Q: For an actor - what doesthe Improv Everywhere experience offer?

Improv Everywhere really started as a way for me to act. I was 22 and new to New York, and I could tell the road to getting stage time would be a long one. So I started staging performances in public places as means to express myself and exercise my acting muscles. I think performing in an Improv Everywhere mission has some benefits to actors. It teaches you to think on your feet, to stay in character in situations where it's not so easy and to work well with an ensemble.

Q: How has Improv Everywhere impacted you as a performer?

I'd say the primary impact has been that it took me down an alternate path in life, one that was much less focused on being an actor. I stopped auditioning for projects as an actor a few years back. Improv Everywhere just takes up too much of my time. I do an improv comedy show at the UCB every week, so I'm still performing, but it's not a career focus anymore.

Q: When you perform/teach improv at UCB, do you view scenes as mini missions, from that Improv Everywhere producer/director POV?

No. I think the connection between improv comedy and Improv Everywhere is pretty loose, and I regret putting the word "improv" in the name of the group. There is spontaneity to what we do, but we also work really had organizing and planning. Performing in a public stunt and performing a long form improv scene take some of the same skills, but they are really entirely different things.

Q: Do you ever cast the missions, look for specific types of people, or are the participants chosen at random?

It depends on what we're doing. We have a few missions a year that are open to the public. The large majority of participants in those events are not actors. For the smaller-scale missions the performers are people who are friends of mine and also long-time members of the group. Most of them are from UCB, which is just an incredible talent pool. I'll cast people I don't know occasionally if I need something specific, like twins or redheads.

Q: Are there any conflicts with unions since the events do get filmed?

I've never heard of an actor having an issue with a union.

Q: You come up with an idea and then see how it plays out. Is there ever a hoped for arc to the event? A hoped for beginning, middle, end - a story it will tell?

Some of our videos have pretty clear stories to them that we have planned in advance. Princess Leia enters the 6-train. Then three Stormtroopers. Then Darth Vader. It has a linear sequence to it. Some of the other videos involve us causing some type of chaos over a longer period of time and the best moments are edited together in a non-linear montage.

Q: You recently appeared on The Apprentice as an event expert - how did that gig come about?

The producers of the show emailed me and asked if I'd like to it.

Q: What does that level of exposure, appearing on The Apprentice, do for you and for Improv Everywhere?

Not much. It was lots of fun to be on the show, and they made me look great. It was a win-win situation, but I'm not expecting anything else to come of it. We've had tons of press over the years, including being featured on the Today show three times, so a quick cameo on The Apprentice won't change things too much.

Q: Whatis the reaction that you seek from throwing these public events / scenes?

We aim to cause scenes of chaos and joy. The ultimate goal is to give the people we encounter a really great story to tell and hopefully a good laugh.

Q: Are you ever surprised by what happens during these events or the public's reactions?

You never know how people will react. Even after doing 100 missions, there are still things that surprise me. The Black Tie Beach event on Coney Island was a great surprise. I didn't know if the Russian locals would find it funny, but they absolutely loved it!

Q: Were you influenced by any of the dare devils, pranksters, magicians, or Jack Asses of the entertainment world?

My two biggest influences were Andy Kaufman and Wayne Coyne. Andy's public pranks with Bob Zmuda were hugely inspiring to me. Wayne's ability to stage insane participatory events around his music also gave great inspiration.

Q: What interesting insights do these events giveabout humanity?

I'd say the biggest thing I've learned is how similar we all are. We've staged events in countries all over the world and the reactions from both the participants and the observers are always about the same.

Q: You have a book about Improv Everywhere "Causing a Scene" - what do you hope the book offers readers?

The book is a great behind-the-scenes look at how Improv Everywhere got started and some of our best pranks. Hopefully it offers lots of laughs and maybe some inspiration to create your own independent projects.

Q: For anyone looking to start a cultural phenomenon such as Improv Everywhere - how hard is that journey? What does it take?

Well you definitely shouldn't start a new project hoping it will become a cultural phenomenon. Just do what you like to do. Create things that you are proud of and be prolific. Give it away for free online and be patient. No one knew who we were for years. If you're doing it because you love doing it and it personally satisfies you, then it doesn't matter if it ever catches on.

Q: How can NYCastings members get involved?

If you live in the NYC area and want to participate in our events, sign up for our New York mailing list on our Mailing Lists page.

Our smaller missions are usually limited to those who have been with the group for long periods of time, but there are a couple of opportunities each year to get involved with our larger missions. No experience is required, just a desire to have fun and an ability to keep a straight face.

Q: If a NYCastings member has an idea for a mission, should they send it to you?

Yes! Many of our greatest conquests have come from ideas from other people. Feel free to email us your ideas. Contact us here. Please remember that we have been doing this since 2001 and probably have thought of the idea or had it sent to us already by someone else. That said, no harm in sending one in. It may wind up being the inspiration for our next great mission. I read every idea that is sent to me, though due to the volume of email I do not have time to respond to most.

Q: On the grandest of scales - where do you hope 'Everywhere' will take you? (A film? TV Show? Mission on Pluto?)

We made a television pilot in 2007 that wasn't picked up, but it was fun to make. I may pursue that again at some point, but honestly right now I'm happy to be working independently and sharing our ideas with the world on YouTube. When space travel becomes affordable I will totally prank Pluto.

Thank you Charlie Todd for giving us a glimpse into your organized chaos.

For more information visit www.improveverywhere.com